Oriental Cockroach Control: How To Get Rid of Oriental Cockroaches

This page is a general oriental cockroach control guide. Using the products and methods suggested, you will gain control of oriental cockroaches. Follow this guide, use the recommended products, and we guarantee 100% control of oriental cockroaches.

While German cockroaches and American cockroaches are much more common intruders in households, another frequent trespasser is the oriental cockroach. Despite their name stating otherwise, the oriental cockroach doesn't originate from Asia, as entomologists believe that this cockroach is native to North Africa. Through travel and trade, it has made its way to the USA and primarily is found in the Northern United States.

Unlike most cockroach species, which prefer to live close to human dwellings where they can easily gain access to food and water, the oriental cockroach prefers to live outdoors. In fact, it thrives in the natural environment. However, in the north, the oriental cockroach is slowly adapting to enjoy indoor living, where it can inhibit moist and damp areas, making it a pest homeowners have to deal with.

Oriental cockroaches can transmit pathogens and diseases to food serving surfaces and eating utensils. When they travel inside plumbing and drains, they come in contact with decaying or decomposing materials, making them a greater threat for transmitting bacteria (E. coli or Salmonella) and disease than other roaches.

If you are encountering oriental cockroaches in your home, follow along with this DIY guide, which will show you expert techniques and professional-quality products you can use to get rid of the infestation quickly and affordably.

Identification

Before treating, you must be certain you are dealing with an oriental cockroach and not some other pest. Careless identification can lead to using the wrong treatment products, which will be ineffective and a waste of your time and money.

Knowing what oriental cockroaches look like is important, so here are some distinguishing characteristics for easy identification.

• Oriental cockroaches have smooth and shiny dark brown or black bodies with a matching pronotum. They are about 1.25 inches long, making them one of the larger kinds of roaches.
• They have wings but are mainly there for show, as neither male nor female roaches can fly.
• Female oriental roaches are larger than male roaches, spanning about 1.25 inches, whereas the males are 1 inch long. Compared to American roaches, which can grow up to 2 inches long, oriental roaches are smaller and stouter.
• Where oriental cockroaches are plentiful, if you aren't spotting them, you may be able to detect them from their unpleasant and strong odor.

Use the description and image above to correctly identify the oriental cockroaches you are dealing with. If you are not sure, contact us, and our representatives will try to assist you with identification.

Inspection

Oriental cockroaches mainly live outdoors but can go into properties when the weather turns harsh. During summer and winter, they might go indoors if conditions get too cold or too dry. They have been known to invade structures during drought and usually reside in dark and moist places below ground level.

Where To Inspect

Begin your inspection indoors. Look closely at areas that create moisture, like kitchens and bathrooms. In the kitchen and bathroom, look inside cabinets, drawers, shelves, pantries, and under sinks (where plumbing penetrates walls). Also, the utility rooms and laundry rooms must be inspected. They are commonly found in plumbing, drains, sewers, or around the foundation of structures.

Outdoors, search crawl spaces around the foundation of your property and inside yard debris, such as leaf litter, woodpiles, logs, rocks, stones, cracks or crevices, and any place they may harbor.

What To Look For

You're looking for oriental cockroaches and signs of their activity. This often means looking for feces (or droppings that look like black pepper). You will have an identified activity if you find any droppings inside your cabinets, shelves, drawers, or pantries.

Also, inspect at night and look at floor drains, sinks, and nearby plumbing, as they are commonly found here. Once you have identified oriental cockroach activity or the roaches themselves, take note of the areas where you found them; this is where you will apply the treatment.

Treatment

Once you have confirmed oriental cockroach activity, it is time to begin treatment. Remember to read all product labels, follow the application instructions on these labels, and stay safe by wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

To get rid of oriental cockroaches, we recommend applying a barrier treatment of Supreme IT Insecticide and Ficam Insect Bait outdoors around your yard and perimeter. Indoors, use a combination of Apex Cockroach Gel Bait and Ficam Insect Bait.

Step 1: Outdoor Treatment with Supreme IT

Supreme IT is a powerful insecticide that repels and kills oriental cockroaches. It also has a residual (or long-term effect) that lasts for up to 90 days. The active ingredient within Supreme IT is bifenthrin 7.9%, which kills pests it comes into contact with and leaves a barrier that prevents pests from crossing.

Determine how much Supreme IT you will need by measuring the square footage of the perimeter. To do this, measure the length and width of the treatment area in feet, then multiply them together (length x width = square footage).

Apply 1 fluid ounce of Supreme IT out of 1 gallon of spray solution can treat 1,000 sq. ft.

So, for example, if you calculated 2,500 sq. ft., you would need 2.5 oz. of Supreme IT mixed in 2.5 gallons of water. We recommend using this product in a 1—or 1.5-gallon hand sprayer to make mixing and application quick and easy.

To mix, fill your pump sprayer with half a gallon of water and add your measured amount of Supreme IT concentrate. Add the rest of the water up to the 1-gallon line. Close the sprayer and shake to ensure an even distribution. Pump the sprayer a few times to produce a low-pressure spray. Perform the perimeter treatment by spraying 3 feet up and 3 feet out from your home's foundation while also spraying windows, doors, garages, eaves, soffits, rain gutters, cracks and crevices, and electrical/plumbing areas. Once an adult roach comes into contact with the chemical solution, it can take up to an hour to die.

Step 2: Apply Ficam Insect Bait

Ficam is a granular product that can be applied with a handheld spreader or by hand. Oriental cockroaches that contact Ficam inspect the bait and die shortly after consuming it.

You will apply a perimeter treatment around your structure, ensuring it is at least 10 feet away and around the exterior outline of the property and garden beds. If applied next to your home's foundation, it may prove ineffective, as Supreme IT will repel pests from the Ficam bait.

To apply, use a rate of 2 to 4 pounds per thousand square feet of treatment area, or more simply, 3.2 to 6 ounces per 100 square feet.

You can apply Ficam around trees, flowerbeds, mulched areas, and near woodpiles.

To apply it from the container, open it and remove the seal. Hold the container 4-5 inches above the ground and shake the product out in 2 to 4-foot bands around your treatment perimeter.

When applying the Ficam, avoid areas where you apply the Supreme IT, allowing a distance of about 10 feet from the sprayed perimeter barrier. Since Supreme IT is a repellent, all the roaches will be driven back away from the property and pushed toward where the Ficam is applied so they can consume it.

Step 3: Indoor Treatment with Apex Cockroach Gel Bait

Apex Cockroach Gel Bait is an effective bait that contains food attractants roaches can't resist and is combined with a slow-killing active ingredient. Because it works slowly, the roaches will ingest the product, becoming contaminated, and will carry it back to the nest, where further population elimination will occur.

Before applying this product, eliminate food and water sources. Clean your whole home using only soapy water instead of cleaning chemicals. Wipe and clean countertops, vacuum and mop kitchen floors, and remove the garbage. Do your best to clean your home and reduce competing food sources.

To use Apex, apply a pea-sized drop of the gel bait every 12 inches. Place them in cabinets, shelves, drawers, cracks, crevices, around plumbing entry points, or wherever you see roach activity. You can even place Apex under appliances by using a business card, applying a drop to the business card, and then sliding it underneath appliances.

Remember not to disturb or kill the roaches that come in contact with the product, and remember not to use cleaning chemicals or other insecticides in the places where you applied Apex for at least five days. Let five days pass, and let the roaches feed on the product undisturbed. Do not use cleaning supplies or products for this period.

Step 4: Indoor Application of Ficam Bait

While Ficam is used outdoors, you can also apply Ficam Bait indoors in your attics, crawl spaces, basements, and wherever else you see roach activity. Apply at a rate of 4 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Apply in attics, basements, and crawl spaces where you have noticed feces or oriental roaches.

Prevention

After you have eliminated the oriental roach invasion, you will need to make sure they don't make a comeback. There are several preventative measures explained below to prevent oriental cockroaches:

• Remember to keep your home dry and moisture-free by removing any standing water, cleaning out your rain gutters, fixing leaky faucets, and repairing faulty plumbing.
• Use caulking, copper mesh, or pest foam to seal and close off any entry points, slits, gaps, or openings that roaches might use to travel. Seal off openings around plumbing (especially under sinks where plumbing penetrates walls) and consider adding screens to all the sinks and drains in your home since oriental roaches are mainly found.
• Maintain a regular cleaning schedule. Do not let dishes pile up in the sink, which can generate water and food sources for oriental roaches. Wipe countertops frequently and mop and vacuum your home to eliminate food crumbs, spills, or grease. Take out the garbage daily, and do not leave pet food and water bowls out at night. In the yard, eliminate yard debris like leaf litter, woodpiles, logs, stones, rocks, and general clutter that can create harborage areas for Oriental roaches.
• Finally, use Supreme IT every 90 days around the perimeter of your structure to maintain a protective insecticidal barrier that will repel and kill any roaches that might try to get inside.

Key Takeaways

What are Oriental Cockroaches?

• Oriental cockroaches are large-sized cockroaches that frequently trespass into homes for warmth and moisture.

How to Get Rid of Oriental Cockroaches

• To eliminate an infestation of oriental cockroaches, we recommend treating the outdoor perimeter with Supreme IT Insecticide and Ficam Insect Bait. Indoors, use a combination of Apex Cockroach Gel Bait and Ficam Insect Bait.

Preventing Oriental Cockroach Reinfestation

• Prevent future infestations of oriental cockroaches through environmental modifications and exclusion measures, such as sealing off cracks and crevices with caulk and applying Supreme IT Insecticide to create a protective barrier.